Furnace



priH 19, 1938. L, M, BEALL 2,114,960

FURNACE Filed July 25, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \\\\\`53 56 :LMT IJlIuumlr' 3% s 5 42 INVENTOR v4 4 3 Lee/w; 19a/x L l fr u Patented Apr. 19,1938 FURNACE Lee M. Beall, Tulsa, Okla., assigner, by decree of court,to Inez L., Beall Application July 23, 1934, Serial No. '736,551

11 Claims.

This invention relates to furnaces and more particularly to a furnacewall and arch construction and has for its principal object to provide awall and arch of this character which is resistant to the destructiveelements of the furnace such as expansion and contraction under widevariation in temperatures, erosion produced by melting slag running downthe inner walls and arch of the furnace and spalling effects caused bythe slag over-heating the wall surfaces.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide for movement ofair over the inner walls and arch of the re box, to retain theternperature of the slag collecting thereon below its melting point, toprovide an improved refractory lining having sliding anchored supportrelatively to the exterior portions of a furnace wall, and to providefor cooling the refractory elements comprising the lining portions ofthe wall and arch.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, ashereinafter pointed out, I have provided improved details of structure,the preferred form of which is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a portion or a furnace wall and archsections of a fire box under construction to better illustrate theelements comprising the respective sections.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the wall and a portion of thewind box wherefrom the cooling medium such Vas air is delivered betweenthe refractory elements to regulate the temperature of any slag that maytend to collect on the inner surface of the walls.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the wall taken at a pointin front of the furnace arch. i

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the brick shapedrefractory elements.

Fig. 5 is a similar perspective'view of one of the refractory headerelements for securing the refractory wall portion to the outersupporting wall portion.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of one of the anchor members.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

i designates a side wall of the fire box of a conventional type furnacesuch as is employed in the firing of large boilers as used in commercialpower plants and which includes an outer wall portion 2 constructed ofcommon brick and an inner refractory wall portion 3 constructed ofrefractory elements for resisting heat of combustion in the fire box.

Heretofore, furnace walls of this character were Subject to rapiddeterioration due to differential expansion between the outer and innerportions of the wall brought about by the different materials ofconstruction and particularly when the refractory wall portion is of thesame temperature as the fire box.

To overcome this difculty, I have provided for free vertical expansionbetween the outer and inner wall portions as well as a lower temperatureof the refractory lining.

Another reason for rapid deterioration of the walls is erosion caused bymelted slag running down the surface ci the refractory wall portions andwearing away the refractory elements. To overcome this diilculty, Ihaveprovided for circulating cooling medium through the refractory wallportions to maintain the temperature thereof below the temperature ofany slag that may tend to collect thereon.

By thus cooling the wall, any slag which does collect thereon does notmelt, but remains in soft porous condition and serves as a protectivecoating for the wall rather than as a destructive element.-

In carrying out these features of the invention, the outer supportingwall portion is laid up of superimposed courses of ordinary brick lwhich may be bonded at suitable intervals as in conventional masonryconstruction. The supporting wall portion is reinforced by thestructural frame work of the furnace including vertical columns tinterconnected by box girders l which are incorporated into the wallconstruction. The columns are also interconnected by a series ofvertically spaced angle bars 8 and il that are located in supportingrelation with selected courses of brick.

The angle bars 8 and 9 have their ends connected to the vertical flangeslil of the columns ii by fastening devices li extending through theVertical legs i2 and i3 of the angle bars as best shown in Fig. l.

The vertical flanges of the angle bars are preferably inset relativelyto the ends thereof so that they lie flatly against the outer face ofthe wall structure. rhe horizontal leg portions of the angle bars extendoutwardly therefrom and are spaced apart .a sum-cient distance to form aslot iii therebetween' for securing the plate portions i5 of anchormembers it by which the inner refractory portion is secured to the outersupporte ing Wall portion. The inner refractory portion of the wall isspaced from the supporting portion of the Wall to provide a verticalpassageway or duct I 'l therebetween for the circulation of the coolingmedium as later described. The refractory wall portion is laid up ofcourses of refractory elements i8 of substantially brick shape andarranged in the wall in right angular relation to the arrangement ofbricks comprising the outer wall portion, with the refractory elementsin one course in bonded relation with those of the adjacent courses.

Incorporated in the refractory wall in alignment with the anchor membersare courses of refractory header elements i5 for engaging the anchormembers to retain the wall portions in vertically spaced relation, butwhich are slidable relatively thereto to provide for dierentialexpansion of the respective wall portions.

The anchor members are best illustrated in Fig. 6 which shows the plateportions I5 thereof provided with heads 20 extending in verticallyspaced relation with the plate portions and which are connected theretoby neck portions 2 I.

The plate portions of the anchor members are preferably the samethickness as the spacing of the mortar joints between the respectivebricks and are of sufficient length to extend from the inner surface ofthe outer wall portion through the spacing between the angle bars 8 and9 so that the plate portions can be secured thereto by wedge members 22extending through openings 23 in the horizontal flanges of the anglebars and through aligning openings 24 in the plate portions. Theopposite ends of the plate portions are also preferably provided withdepending ribs 25 for engaging over the inner face of the course ofbricks on which the plate portions of the anchor members are supported.

The neck portions 2I of the anchor members preferably comprisetriangular shaped webs extending vertically from the upper surface ofthe plate portions and are in position to lie between the head joints ofthe bricks in the course which extends across the top of the plateportions.

The heads 28 of the anchor members are preferably integrally connectedwith the neck portions to provide lateral flanges 25 and 2l with whichthe header elements of the refractory wall portions are slidablyinterengaged.

The refractory header elements include one course having substantiallythe same width and height as the refractory elements I8 as illustratedin Fig. 4 and are arranged so that the head joints thereof arepositioned in bonded relation with the head joints of the refractoryelements I8.

The header elements, however, are of greater length than the refractoryelements IS so that the rear ends thereof project within the space I'Ias clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and are provided with verticallyarranged notches 28 in a side face thereof to engage over one of therespective flange portions 26 and 2l depending upon the position of therefractory relatively thereto. The rear end of the brick is also cutaway as at 29 to accommodate the neck portion 2i of the anchor member.

In order to provide a bond of the header elements in the next course,the elements of the next upper course include portions 3E extending inbias relation with the projecting portions thereof so that the end facesof the bias portions overlie the head joints of the next lower courseo1' header elements in the same manner as the bonding of the refractoryelements I 8 previously described.

In building the wall, a sufficient number' of courses of the brickrefractory elements I8 are laid so that they extend to the approximatelevel of the bottom of the heads of the anchor members, a course of therefractory headers I9 being laid along the wall in such a manner thatthe refractory elements lie in pairs with the notches 28 of the pairsforming substantially T-shaped slots 3l for engaging over the anges ofthe anchor members as illustrated in Fig. 2, the anchor members beingspaced along the wall so that they are in position to be engaged by eachsucceeding pair of header elements in the course.

A course of bias refractory elements is then placed in the wall in likemanner, after which another course of headers of the type illustrated inFig. 5 is applied and so on until the top of the heads 20 is reached.

The construction of the wall then progresses with the refractory I8until the next row of anchors is reached and a second series of headerelements is built into the wall. The construction of the wall progressesin like manner above the level of the box girders '1; however, aplurality of the courses of header elements are secured to the girder bymeans of special anchor members 32 and 33 having ange portions 34similar to the flange portions of the anchors I6.

The lower anchor member 33 is clamped to the lower flanges 35 of themain I-beam 36 of the box girder and the upper end thereof carries aninwardly extending shelf portion 37 for supporting that portion 38 ofthe refractory wall extending above the box girder.

The portion 39 of the refractory wall below the shelf 3T is positionedwithin the hottest portion of the 'nre box and, therefore, has the majorportion of the expansion and contraction incidental to heating andcooling of the furnace and to take care of this expansion andcontraction, the courses on the opposite sides of the shelves 31 areinterposed with a layer of expansive material 40 to maintain the jointin closed condition during expansion and contraction of the wall.

I have found that by spacing the refractory portions of the wall fromthe supporting portion and that by circulating a cooling medium such asair through the space, I am enabled to retain the refractory wall inrelatively cool condition to minimize the expansion and contractionthereof; however, to supplement this cooling effect of the air movingthrough the space I'I, I provide for circulating air directly throughthe refractory portion of the wall as now to be described.

In carrying out this feature of the invention,

the bed portion 4I of each refractory element I8 as well as each headerelement I9 below the girder 'I is provided with a transverse groove 42adjacent the face ends 43 thereof and longitudinal grooves 44, 45, and46 extending respectively along the longitudinal corners andintermediate portions of the refractory elements as best shown in Figs.4 and 5.

Thus when the bricks are placed in juxtaposition in the wall, thegrooves of one brick cooperate with the corresponding grooves of theadjacent brick to provide longitudinal and transverse channels 41 and 48wherethrough air is circulated from the space I I in close proximity tothe inner surface of the wall as shown in Fig. 3.

The air, therefore carries away heat accumulating in the wall so thatthe inner surface of the wall is maintained below the melting point ofany slag which tends to collect thereon.

I also provide for emitting jets of cooling medium from the channels 41through slots 49 formed between the respective courses oi.' refractoryelements. These slots are formed by offsetting the faces of the bedportions of the elements on opposite sides of the transverse grooves 52so that when the elements are placed in superimposed courses theportions 50 are spaced apart to provide the slots 49 therebetween andwhich are in communication with the respective channels.

Thus, the cooling medium is caused to move in direct contact with theslag to retain it in soft porous condition so that the air passesreadily therethrough and prevents it from melting and running down thewall to cause the erosion above pointed out.

While the cooling medium may be provided from any source, I preferablycirculate the cooling medium from the wind box 5I of the furnace whichis connected with the wall space I1 by means of a connecting flue 52as'shown in Fig. 2.

In a furnace constructed as described, air is circulated from the windbox 5l through the space l1 for distribution to all of the channels 48for flow to the longitudinal channels 51 to maintain the refractoryportion of the wall in relatively cool condition or below thetemperature at which the elements tend to crack and produce spalling.

Also by circulating the air in close proximity with the inner face ofthe wall and by discharging jets of air in sheet like formation throughthe slots t9 and into the furnace, any

Slag which tends to collect thereonis maintained below its melting pointso that if it does adhere to the wall, it is of soft porous nature andacts as a protective coating on the wall. A

A similar method may be used in cooling and protecting the arch section53 of the fire box, as illustrated in Fig. l, wherein refractoryelements 54 and 55, similar to the header elements ernployed in the wallconstruction, are suspended in juxtaposed relation from I-beam supports56. The refractories are positioned on the supports so that courses ofthe bias elements 54 alternate with the straight elements 55 to providea bonded construction. Y

Y 'Ihe grooves 51 in the side faces of the refractory elementsV 54V and55 also cooperate to form channels 58 extending across the width of thearch and having slots 59 wherethrough air is passed from the channelsinto the re box in direct contact with slag tending to collect on theunder surface of the arch, the air being supplied to the channelsthrough thelateral channels 6B formed bythe longitudinal grooves 5Iofthe refractories. The tops of the supports 56 carry a sheet metalcovering 52 to provide an air space 53 above the refractories forpreventing loss of furnace heat through the arch, this heat beingabsorbed by the air and returned to the re box through the respective owchannels. 'Ihe space 63 may be connected through suitable ports (notshown) with the vertical spaces l1 in the side walls, or it may connectdirectly with the Wind box 5I through ducts similar to the flues 52,previously described.

It may be desirable in most arch installations to have the slots 59, orat least most of them, closed by a high temperature cement to retain theair for circulation through the channels in close proximity to the innersurface of the arch for maintaining the cooling effect without passingthe air directly in contact with the slag.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided a wall havingmaximum strength and which is resistant to the destructive elementsincidental to furnaces of the vtype illustrated and wherein differentialexpansion and contraction of the respective materials is adequatelycompensated for to prevent disintegration of the wall structure. Y

While I have specifically related my invention to furnace wall and archconstruction, it is obvious that the construction may be used in anytype of still, retort, blast or like furnaces, wherein it is desirous toprevent the formation of melted slag or to compensate for expansion andcontraction between inner and outer portions of a wall.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A furnace wall including an outer wall portion, an inner wall portioncomprising juxtaposed refractory elements having interconnectinglongitudinal and transverse grooves cooperating to provide transverseand lateral flow channels, anchor members carried in said outer wallportion, header elements interposed between selected refractory elementsand having bias portions positioned in bonded relation with saidrefractory elements and provided with notched portions for slidingengagement with said anchor members to retain the wall portions inspaced relation and provide a duct therebetween communicating with saidflow channels, and means for delivering a cooling medium to said ductfor new through said channels.

- 2. -A furnace wall including an outer wall portion, an inner wallportion comprising juxtaposed refractory elements having interconnectinglongitudinal and transverse grooves cooperating 'to provide transverseand lateral flow channels, anchor members carried in said outer wallportion, header elements interposed between selected refractory elementsand having similar iiow channels and provided with notched portions forsliding engagement with said anchor members to retain the wall portionsin spaced relation and provide a duct therebetween communicating withsaid flow channels, and means for delivering a cooling medium to saidduct for now through said channels.

3. A furnace wall including inner and outer Wall portions comprisingjuxtaposed bricks, hanged anchor members carried by one of said wallportions, a row ,of header elements interjposed between selected bricksin the other of said wallsrand having bias portions arranged in biasrelation with said bricks and provided with hookshaped portions slidablyengaging the flanged anchor members to retain said wall portions inVspaced relation, and a second row of header mem'- bers positioned inbonded relation with the bias portions of said iirst row and havingsimilar hookshaped portions engaging said anchor members.

4. A furnace wall including an outer supporting wall portion, anchormembers having plate portions extending through said wall and havingflanged head portions, and an inner refractory wall including refractoryelements having notched portions engaging said anges on said headportions of the anchor members to space said wall portions to form anair duct therebetween, said inner wall portion having air flow channelsin communication with said air duct.

5. A furnace Wall including an outer wall portion, an inner wall portioncomprising juxtaposed refractory elements, anchor members carried insaid outer wall portion, and header elements insor terposed betweenselected refractory elements and having bias portions positioned inbonded relation with said refractory elements and provided with notchedportions for sliding engagement with said anchor members to retain thewall portions in spaced relation.

6. A refractory element including a refractory body having a hookedshaped anchoring portion, and a bias portion having transverse andlongitudinal grooves to form flow channels when the refractory elementis juxtaposed in bonded relation with similar elements in a wallstructure, said bias portion having a bed face provided with offsets onopposite sides of the transverse groove so that when the refractoryelements are juxtaposed with similar elements slotted outlets areprovided for the flow channels formed by said transverse grooves.

'7. A refractory element including a brick like body having a bedportion provided with offset faces separated by a transverse groove andhav ing a longitudinal groove in the highest of said offset faces andconnected with the transverse groove to form flow channels and a slottedoutlet from the flow channels when the refractory element is juxtaposedwith similar elements in a wall structure.

8. A refractory element including a brick like body having a bed portionprovided with offset faces separated by a transverse groove and having alongitudinal groove in the highest of said offset faces connecting thetransverse groove to form ow channels and a slotted outlet from the flowchannels when the refractory element is juxtaposed with similar elementsin a wall structure, and a hook-shaped anchor engaging portion on saidbody.

9. A furnace wall including inner and outer Wall portions comprisingjuxtaposed bricks, flanged anchor members carried by one of said wallportions, and header elements interposed between selected bricks in theother of said wall portions and having biased portions arranged in biasrelation With said bricks and provided with hook-shaped ends slidablyengaging the flanged anchor members to retain said wall portions inspaced relation, said header elements having flow channels incommunication with the space formed between said wall portions.

10. A furnace wall including an outer wall portion, anchor memberscarried by said outer wall portion and having flanged heads, an innerwall portion including courses of juxtaposed refractory elements, therefractory elements in one course having bed faces provided withchannels cooperating with bed faces of the refractory elements in thenext adjacent course to form horizontal passageways for air between thebed faces of the respective courses and having notched ends for slidablyengaging said flanged heads of the anchors to retain said wall portionsin spaced relation to form a chamber in communication with saidpassageways between the respective courses whereby air is circulatedfrom the chamber through said passageways.

11. A furnace wall including an outer wall portion formed of juxtaposedbrick, anchor members having plate portions engaged between selectedbricks and having flanged head portions, an inner wall portion includingcourses of juxtaposed refractory elements, the refractory elements inone course having bed faces provided with channels cooperating with bedfaces of the refractory elements in the next adjacent course to formhorizontal passageways for air between the bed faces of the respectivecourses and having notched ends for slidably engaging said flanged headportions to retain said wall portions in spaced relation to form achamber in communication with said passageways between the respectivecourses whereby air is circulated from the chamber through saidpassageways.

LEE M. BEALL.

